The papers Organometallics, 10, 1421-1431, 1991; Inorg. Chem., 34, 4092-4105, 1995; J. Organomet. Chem., 527(1-2), 263-276, 1997; and Inorg. Chem., 35(6), 1518-28, 1996, report the reaction of bis (iminophosphoranyl) methane (BIPM) which are typically aryl substituted on the phosphorus atom and the nitrogen with group VIII metal halides (chlorides) further comprising at two weakly coordinating ligands (L) such as nitriles or cyclooctadiene, afforded several products depending on the reaction time, type of ig and or nature of the metal. The product could be a N-C chelating type product or a N-N chelating product (similar to those of the present invention). ##STR1##
The products contain alkyl bridge between the phosphinimine groups and the references do not disclose the tridentate transition metal complexes of the present invention. Further, none of the references teach or suggest the use of such compounds for the polymerization of alpha olefins.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,557,023 issued September, 1996 teaches the use of some phosphinimines complexes to oligomerize alpha olefins. However, the complexes disclosed are not bis-imine complexes. Rather, the complexes are of the structure indicated below. ##STR2##
wherein R, Q, etc. are as defined in the patent. The structures disclosed in the patent are not the bis-imines of the present invention. While the reference does teach oligomerization, it does not suggest polymerization.
WO 98/30609 patent application published Jul. 16, 1998 assigned to E.I. Du Pont de Nemours teaches the use of various complexes of nickel to polymerize alpha olefins. A close complex in the disclosure is compound XXXXI at the middle of page 9 and the associated description of the various substituents. While, the compound contains a cyclic bridge, a nickel heteroatom completes the cyclic bridge in the middle of the compound. The reference does not contemplate or disclose compounds of the present invention which have a tridentate functionality. The reference fails to disclose the subject matter of the present invention.
There are a number of patents and papers by Brookhart and/or Gibson disclosing the use of pyridine bridged bis-amine Group 8, 9 or 10 metals to polymerize olefins. However, such papers teach that copolymers are not produced (e.g. WO 98/27124). The present invention proved copolymers of olefins made using an iron (or cobalt) based catalyst.
WO 98/47933 published Oct. 29, 1998 to MacKenzie et al, assigned to Eastman Chemical Company teaches bidentate amino-imine complexes of iron, cobalt, nickel and palladium for the polymerization of olefins. The complexes do not contemplate the presence of a sulfur, oxygen or phosphorus atom in the ligand bound to the iron, cobalt, nickel or palladium metal atom. As such the reference teaches away from the subject matter of the present invention.
WO 98/49208 published Nov. 5, 1998 in the name of Bres et al, assigned to BP Chemicals Limited also discloses an amino-imine complex of nickel or palladium for the polymerization of alpha olefins. Again the reference teaches away from the subject matter of the present invention in that it does not teach nor suggest the presence of a sulfur, oxygen or phosphorus atom bound to the metal atom in the complex.